AP15:062
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2015
CONTACT: Sam Mahood
(916) 653-6575
Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
California Nationhood. Initiative Statute.
SACRAMENTO – Secretary of State Alex Padilla today announced the proponent of a new initiative may begin collecting petition signatures.
The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponent and to the Secretary of State, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponent and to county elections officials. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the measure is as follows:
CALIFORNIA NATIONHOOD. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Places question of whether California should become a separate nation on the ballot every four years, beginning November 2020. Voter approval of nationhood in any such election would then require California to demand federal recognition as a separate nation and distinct society. Federal government refusal to recognize California’s nationhood would require future placement on the ballot, every four years, the second question of whether California should unilaterally declare independence from the United States. Voter approval of unilateral independence from the United States in any such election would require California to declare independence and request admission to the United Nations. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Potentially large changes in California public budgets, assuming that this measure can be implemented legally, that voters approve changes to California’s relationship with the United States in later elections, and that these changes actually occur. (15-0037.)
The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1699 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 15-0037.
The proponent for the measure, Louis J. Marinelli, must collect the signatures of 365,880 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2014 general election) in order to qualify it for the November 2016 ballot. The proponent has 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials by March 14, 2016. The proponent can be reached at ljmarinelli@soverignca.org. No phone number was provided.
###
